International crop science conference tackled various applications of genomics and bioinformatics

POHANG, South Korea (September 18, 2023) – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Handong Global University (HGU), the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)came together to organize the “International Conference on the Application of Genomics and Bioinformatics to Biology.”

The event, hosted by HGU on September 18, 2023, convened stakeholders and experts to address the transformative potential of advanced technologies in genetics and bioinformatics on the global food system and food security. This innovative scientific interaction at international level was conducted as part of the Korea Official Development Assistance (ODA) project in the Philippines, entitled “Capacity-building for Higher Education and the Establishment of Agricultural Genomics Research Center at the University of the Philippines Los Baños” that the Republic of Korea supports through KOICA.

The project aims to establish the advanced agricultural genomics center for genomics and bioinformatics research on plant, animal, insect, and microorganism species living in the Philippines. The project also provides young scientists of UPLB with PhD scholarships at nine (9) hub-universities in Korea, MSc sandwich program at UPLB and IRRI, and various research capacity building activities, such as seminars, invitational, OMICs, and sequencing trainings, among others. IRRI acts as the project implementing agency.

The conference served as an incubator and accelerator of innovative ideas and alternative approaches to bolster food security and promote sustainable development in the face of climate change impacts. The gathering reinforced the existing collaboration between the Philippines and South Korea, particularly in the realm of agricultural research.

HGU President, Dosoung Choi, also expressed his congratulations and recognized the significance of collaborative efforts in advancing agricultural research and development between the Philippines and Korea. “The International Rice Research Institute, located in the Philippines, has a very special meaning…